Today management scholars emphasise the importance of the globalisation and internationalisation process in introducing new opportunities and practices to effective HR management. Through globalisation, national borders are constantly losing their significance as limitations for human interaction in general, and for economic collaboration in particular. (Karagozoglou, N., and M. Lindell, 1998).

International human resources management (IHRM) is a highly dynamic and constantly evolving field, with new themes emerging that transcend traditional approaches (Bjorkman and Stahl, 2006). A number of recent contributions to the IHRM field have noted the significance of the changing nature of careers (Collings et al., 2007; Dickmann and Harris, 2005; Stahl et al., 2002; Thomas et al., 2005). Of key importance in this regard is the impact of changing attitudes towards careers and their influence on the willingness of candidates to accept international assignments (Collings et al., 2007 for a discussion).

This observation is based on two important factors. Firstly, in general terms, we are witnessing a shift in how employees view their careers, with increasing emphasis placed on career mobility and decreasing commitment to specific organisations (DeFillippi & Arthur, 1996). Secondly, there is an emerging interest in self-initiated international assignments or assignments initiated by individuals without organisational support (cf. Inkson et al., 1997; Suutari and Brewster, 2000).

The implications of the rapid growth of the emerging economies for IHRM research are significant in various ways, and their impact on the landscape of global business far exceeds their potential as locations for outsourced low-value aspects of corporates activities. Leading management studies have focused on the institutional dimension of distance and its effect on strategic choice (Peng, 2002), as well as the difficulty in recruiting and retaining managerial talent with the requisite skills to operate in these environments, and further to persuade qualified candidates to transfer to these locations (Bjorkman and Xiucheng, 2003; Collings and Scullion, 2006). This is compounded by the fact that countries such as India and China face shortages of suitably qualified and skilled employees for MNCs and local enterprises alike (Budhwar, 2004; Gupta and Wang, 2007).

Superior talent management correlates strongly with enhanced business performance, but as yet we have little solid academic research on the effects of effective talent management on individual and organisational outcomes (Ernst & Young, 2010). How do institutional, cultural and organisational (Evans, Pucik & Barsoux, 2002) factors affect the ability of organisations to transfer their HRM policies across national borders (Evans, Pucik & Barsoux, 2002)? What is the role of IHRM in enhancing business performance and talent management outcomes (Vance, C.M. and Vaiman, V., 2008)?

Global organisations need to act by developing and nurturing internal processes likely to have significant impact on organisational strategies, practices and interactions in order to produce and support employee performance (Grumman & Saks, 2011; Alon, 2013); knowledge management systems (KMS) are very likely supportive and helpful in regard to this big challenge (Del Giudice et al., 2013). Still few studies explore the importance of social capital, knowledge transfer and cross-cultural management as influencing factors for the transfer of HRM practices among international MNC units. Furthermore, despite the relevant role of knowledge management practices and their role in IHRM, relevant gaps still exist concerning their connection and mutual influences. At the same time, empirical evidence about knowledge management tools for managing talents at an international level remains scarce (Vaiman and Holden, 2013).

This special issue seeks to present high-quality research that furthers the understanding of the mechanisms and dynamics sustaining IHRM and knowledge management as drivers for corporate innovation at an international level. Specifically, it encourages papers that examine novel phenomena, employing original methodologies and offering interesting empirical insights and theoretical contributions to this research stream. The topics of interest to the special issue are divided into three main directions (albeit not exclusively):

International knowledge management practices, inside and across people and cultures: studies of the critical role played by social capital and KM practices in the successful implementation of global strategies, and in particular, the ways in which IHRM systems may influence the creation and utilisation of social capital and knowledge management.

Cross-cultural innovation: role of cultural context in the development of innovation in the national and international scenario; how IHRM practices, as well as matching different cultural backgrounds, could help organisations in managing and communicating with employees in an appropriate way (Wang & Satow, 1994).

Subject Coverage

Suitable topics include, but are not limited, to the following:

IHRM and cross-cultural innovation

Knowledge dimensions of global competition

Virtual knowledge sharing inside cross-cultural contexts

Cross-nation innovation management

Implications for productivity, efficiency and quality of an international human resources management approach

Cross-cultural approach to IHRM

International talent management

Social capital, knowledge transfer and cross-cultural management as influencing factors for the transfer of HRM practices among international MNCs

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. (N.B. Conference papers may only be submitted if the paper has been completely re-written and if appropriate written permissions have been obtained from any copyright holders of the original paper).

All papers are refereed through a peer review process.

All papers must be submitted online. To submit a paper, please read our Submitting articles page.

Important Dates

Manuscripts due by: 31 October, 2018

References

Alon, I. (2013). Knowledge and innovation in the new service economy. International Journal of Service Industry Management.